Native American People The Psychological Impactof Historical Trauma

The Psychological Impact of Historical Trauma on Native American People. Native American historical trauma is similar to other massive generational group traumas. Past examples include the Jewish holocaust, the slavery of the African people in the United States, and the treatment of Japanese Americans in the U.S. during World War II. Understanding the history of Native Americans enables the design of culturally specific preventive and therapeutic interventions. Contrary to what is often taught in modern history books, Native Americans were a highly advanced culture deeply immersed in their environments. From the invasion by the Spanish in the 1400s to the scorched earth extermination policies of the United States in the 1800s, Native Americans endured attempted genocide, forced relocation and confinement to reservations, and forced assimilation. Historical trauma is generational and dwells deep in the souls of Native American individuals and communities across the United States. For any healing to occur, one must take a close look at the root cause of historical trauma for the Native American people. The focus of this book is to explore and develop ideas that will assist Native Americans in accessing which old ways are too biologically ingrained to abandon and what new ways must be adopted to come to terms with such a vastly different environment.
It is essential to understand the environment in which Native American people live, know their history, and see how this history has shaped them. It is equally important to understand and respect their worldview, which describes the thought process of a people or a culture. Native Americans were displaced from their traditional lands, their sacred sites were excavated, and their sacred objects were placed in private collections and museums. Their remains were exhumed from traditional burial sites to make room for ranching and industry. Their artwork was never seen as separate from their culture. It was commercially reproduced and modified for Western tastes. Traditional ceremonies and stories were often depicted inaccurately in novels, movies, and on television. Their way of life was disrupted, and they were forced to accept religious institutions whose dogmas often conflicted with Native American values.
A variety of terms have been used interchangeably to refer to America’s indigenous populations — “Indians,” “Native Americans,” “American Indians,” and” Native peoples.” The problem of terminology began with Columbus. He was lost. The people he met were not Indians because he was not in India at the time. Still, these people have been called “Indians for six centuries.” There are many different people and nations, each with its language. To justify the use of “Indians,” which some scholars find offensive, I refer to Sherman Alexie’s remark during a reading in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in March 1993: “The white man tried to take our land, our sovereignty, and our languages. He gave us the word “Indian.” Now he wants to take the word “Indian” away from us, too. Well, he can’t have it.” All these terms have been used interchangeably throughout this book to reflect best the subject being discussed.